I am currently a college dance student on the lookout for a summer program for next year. I'm having the hardest time trying to find a program that fights my needs and desires as a dancer especially because of my age. I will be 22 this Dec. I am looking for an SI that offers ballet technique everyday, modern dance (preferably classically based), and supplemental classes that have to do with injury prevention (pilates, gyrotonics ect.) I would love to be able to begin pointe work just for my own enjoyment but it's not a requirement. So far I have looked at Savage Jazz, Ailey (I have been having problems getting accepted because of my body type), and possibly the Philadanco training program. I'm looking for a program that will at the very least will be 3 weeks longer but I prefer a whole summer gig. I am an intermediate level dancer with the goal of entering a high energy dynamic contemporary ballet/modern dance company.
Thanks a bunch!!

Boston Ballet accepts students up to 23 years of age at its Summer Dance Program, though it may be difficult to get in especially at an intermediate level... but you never know what they will be looking for!

I was in your exact situation myself just last summer, and I had a pretty good experience at Tulsa Ballet's Pointe to the Future program. Its 3 weeks with ballet, pointe, jazz, and character every day with supplemental nutrition and enrichment classes. The jazz teacher was especially good! I was by far the oldest person there (at 21), which made it a bit uncomfortable at times, but it was rewarding nonetheless. I couldn't reccomend beginning pointe there, or at any summer intensive as most require that the student be already en pointe when they begin the intensive to qualify for pointe classes.

I suggest you look around at smaller intensives because they're usually more likely to accept older students. They may be hard to find, but they're out there!

Hi. Your passion and love for dance certainly resonates with many of us! I might recommend that you look into the Summer Dance Lab, held on the campus of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington (State). It's a great program and you can choose from a minimum of two week, to the full program of five weeks. Daily ballet, modern, etc.; it's a full-course buffet. I've sent many students there, and they've all come back with positive comments.

Here's the URL: http://www.whitman.edu/summer_dance/

Hope you have a terrific Summer of dance, no matter where you land!

<small>[ 24 August 2004, 10:32 AM: Message edited by: Dean Speer ]</small>

Hi
Thank you all for your responses. I should say that during my training that I have had pointe technique but that I have not been able to continue because my dance program in college doesn't offer it, hence the reason why I would like to begin in the summer. I am planning to take outside pointe technique classes (I'm in NYC) in order to get refreshed.
Again thank you and I will definitely add your suggestions to my list.

You would probably do well at our summer program in Boston, although we're still trying to recover from this PAST summer that just finished:

http://www.ballettheatre.org

Violindancer, you might want to look into my summer program for 2005: http://www.bethkurtzballet.com

<small>[ 25 March 2005, 06:22 AM: Message edited by: Beth Kurtz ]</small>